Fedex has announced it has received its first five of an order of 500 electric Light Commercial Vehicles from BrightDrop, the new electric delivery and logistics business from General Motors (GM). The company stated that the introduction of BrightDrop’s all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles is an important step in the company’s goal to take its global operations carbon neutral by 2040.
Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx commented: “At FedEx, transforming our pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles is integral to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals announced earlier this year. This collaborative effort shows how businesses can take action to help usher in a lower-emissions future for all.”
FedEx has set a goal to operate an all-electric, zero-emission global pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet by 2040. As part of that effort, FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, plans for 50% of its global PUD vehicle purchases to be electric by 2025, rising to 100% by 2030. The collaboration with BrightDrop has created an avenue to help achieve these goals, backed by a world leader in the automotive industry.
Powered by the Ultium battery platform, the EV600 is designed for deliveries, with an estimated range of up to 250 miles on a full charge. Purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services, the vehicle offers more than 600 cubic feet of cargo area.
These first few EV600s were delivered to the FedEx Express facility in Inglewood, Calif. where they will be housed and operated. To support the new vehicle technology, FedEx is building charging infrastructure across its network of facilities, including the 500 charging stations the company has already installed across California. FedEx is also actively working with utility companies to help evaluate and determine the capacity needed for electrical grids to support such charging infrastructure.
In 2003, FedEx was the first delivery company to use hybrid vehicles for pickup and delivery and, in 1994, the company used its first electric vehicle – an acid battery-powered vehicle in California.
Source: FedEx
